SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Draymond Green had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists before a late ejection after two technical fouls in a 33-second span, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 123-118 on Friday night in a physical NBA Cup game.
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to finish with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Buddy Hield had 18 points and Moses Moody scored 14.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 32 points for Memphis in a matchup of teams with deep rotations who rely heavily on their reserves.
Curry, who had scored 36 and 37 points the past two games, respectively, shot 4 for 9 with three 3-pointers.
Grizzlies: Star guard Ja Morant has begun doing some on-court shooting work and will undergo imaging on his injured hip and pelvis area early next week once the team is home. “He´s got that itch to get back on the court, so that was under-control shooting,” coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Warriors: G Lindy Waters III made his second start of the season, then fell to the floor after blocking a shot with 1:58 left in the second quarter. Waters didn’t return because of a hyperextended left knee.
A foul initially whistled against Green with 1:40 remaining before halftime when Jake LaRavia hit him in the face was challenged by the Warriors and the call was overturned. The foul was issued instead to LaRavia. Golden State won another challenge midway through the fourth.
Curry didn’t make a field goal until a 3-pointer 2:40 before halftime, shooting just once in 11 minutes of first-quarter action and scoring his two points on free throws. He missed his initial three shots.
The Grizzlies host Denver on Sunday and Tuesday.
Golden State travels to Los Angeles to face the Clippers having dropped the last four in the series overall and five on the road.
